


cars, a valid love-language

by empathy_junkie



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Crack, Drabble, M/M, Short, The Yotsuba Group, aahh, bad, gross business men, terrible, this ship is my jam y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 17:01:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13768563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empathy_junkie/pseuds/empathy_junkie
Summary: tumblr prompt from years ago; in this au higuchi and l are dating and there's nothing else i should need to say to prevent anyone from reading this





	cars, a valid love-language

Everyone who stood long enough within Kyosuke’s vicinity could easily come to understand how much he valued the art of transportation. He was fluent in both cars and motorcycles but showed nothing but disdain for the latter. Too flimsy and too inexpensive. The most effective entrances were made on four wheels.

L had been within spitting distance of Kyosuke for over a month, and he had, in turn, absorbed the typical impressions that the young, brutish Head of Technology tended to resonate: vulgar cologne, a vicious laugh, the inability to forgo a scoff, and, at last, a mention of his spectacular eye-catching car.

The detective had taken all of this - apart from the laugh, which he took personal pleasure in cutting short, in stride: a feat managed by few. There had been several resulting rewards, but the one that seemed to cause Kyosuke the most visible agitation had only been presented to L on the following morning, when Kyosuke had suggested that, instead of meeting at the restaurant ‘with that lackey of yours’, the executive and the detective could ride together in Kyosuke’s car.

L’s displeasure had been evident. He sat moodily, legs tucked up to his chest, clutching a cup of coffee that was slowly spilling over the edge and dripping onto Kyosuke’s carpet.  
“Not necessary. I have a busy schedule. I need to be mobile on my own terms.”

The house’s owner came out of the bathroom with his typical loud, awkward gate. His hair had been transformed from shaggy waves to unearthly pinnacles supported by far too much hair gel, and a scowl was on his face.

“ _Your own terms_? You can’t even drive on your own. That damn butler of yours is with you everywhere you go.”

“I was afraid it’d come to this, but -.”

“What, you didn’t think that I’d get tired of always having to deal with an unwanted third?”

“I didn’t think you’d jump at the chance to stand in as my chauffer.”

Kyosuke scoffed as he adjusted his collar in the mirror. Having his back to L made him distinctly uncomfortable. “That’s not what I’m offering.“

"Then I’ll have to decline.”

“I don’t believe this. You’re pathetic. If you’d rather just have dinner by yourself or with your butler, that’s fine. I can bail out any time I want.”

L sighed in agitation.

“Oh dear. Over a matter of putting my employees to good use I might actually lose the dashing executive climbing the social ladder two rungs at a time?”

Kyosuke’s hands were on his hips.

“That option sounds more appealing every time you open your mouth!”

“I’d hardly say _my mouth_ is the problem, if last night was any indication of it's - "

“For fuck’s sake!”

“What you’re really trying to say is that you’re worried that the butler has more ties to my affection than you could ever possess?”

Kyosuke strode over to L and stood over him, his teeth just visible beneath lips quivering in anger.

“Just give the man a night off!”

L sighed and brought the cup to his lips again.

“I’ll even come by and pick you up, and if you need to call your butler because they don’t have enough sugar for your after-dinner coffee then go ahead.”

~

As it happened, L had appeared in the lobby of the Yotsuba Tokyo office on the same evening, dressed for a casual night and bearing an expression of mind-numbing dullness. It hadn’t changed when Kyosuke had instructed him,

“You made it. Let me get the car. Wait here.”

It didn’t change when the Head of Technology pulled up in his vehicle moments later, despite the fact that every streetlamp and lighted window was glistening off the car’s finish, and a few entry-level employees were looking on with envy as the gaunt detective approached the roaring car. Conversely, he began inspecting it like a shiny bug pinned down on a card.

Kyosuke rolled down the passenger window and peered up at Ryuzaki with obvious expectation in his eyes.

“Get in already, our reservation is at eight.”

L obeyed the command sluggishly, tugging limply at the door handle and sliding into the passenger seat without ceremony. The moment he was properly situated, Kyosuke slammed the accelerator.

A few moments of silence passed between them, while the world outside the car became nothing more than a dizzying blur of light and dark lines. Kyosuke’s body had relaxed, but his eyes darted back to L again and again as if he was in the grip of some moral decision of great consequence.

“Alright, Ryuzaki. Here we are. Is this really such a downgrade from your usual mode of transportation?”

“You should try these techniques the next time you’re fishing for compliments for yourself,“ L mused cheerfully. He reached down toward the side of his seat and seemed to be looking for something with his long fingers.

"Still in a mood. Great. You have a hard time letting things go, you know that? You’re as stubborn as this jack-ass I know in sales - ”

“No jack-ass in sales is more stubborn than I am.”

A bitter laugh escaped Kyosuke.

“Bullshit. You’re _here_ , aren’t you?”

“I’m here for the sole purpose of gauging whether or not you are compelled to drive recklessly in an attempt to show me that you exist above the law and are a slave to your own unbridled ambition and courage. I know that can be quite thrilling for some.”

A light turned red somewhere above them but the car was already gaining ground through the intersection and didn’t slow its pace for a moment. Kyosuke leaned his arm against the side of the passenger seat, barely missing L’s shoulder.

“Shut up,” he muttered. “Just shut up and enjoy this.”

L pursed his lips thoughtfully as he leaned back against the leather seat.

“I suppose I could try. You only have this trip, after all. Watari will arrive at our location in an hour.”


End file.
